A Da congyoubing stall shut down after 34 years in business

Local authorities have forced a legendary Shanghai breakfast food spot to shut down after 34 years in business, reportedly after it was featured in Rick Stein's BBC programme on the city's culinary scene. 

A Da has been turning out hugely popular congyoubing (scallion oil pancakes) from a small space on Nanchang Lu for more than three decades, but will now have to look for new premises after officials found the business didn't have the appropriate licenses.

Mr Wu, also known as 'The Congyoubing Hunchback', was included in a segment of the BBC show from earlier this year, which reportedly led to even longer queues at the stall than usual (there was a regular wait of over an hour originally anyway). This in turn allegedly precipitated complaints from its neighbours. Yesterday, the authorities showed up and closed the spot down.

Here's what Shanghai food specialist and UnTour head honcho Jamie Barys had to say about A Da in our round-up of Shanghai's best street food breakfasts:

Mr Wu of A Da Congyoubing is hands-down my favourite street food vendor in Shanghai, and his congyoubing (scallion oil pancakes) are second to none – as evidenced by the hungry queue that lines up here every morning. While congyoubing can be found shallow-fried all over the city, Mr Wu’s secret is a post-fry crisp in the oil drum that houses the kerosene fire heating his griddle. Be prepared to wait though; often people buy an entire batch of 20 and it takes more than 10 minutes to cook them. He wakes up every morning at 5am to prep, and closes when he sells out or by 3pm – whichever comes first.

So another depressing story of closure from Shanghai's food and drink scene, less than a week after Taian Table was shuttered one day after attaining a Michelin star. Mr Wu is apparently looking for a new, more harmonious spot with the help of the Huangpu district authorities - let's hope he doesn't end up in a soulless, identikit mall somewhere.

More from Time Out Shanghai